1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an anti-mine system. In particular, the present invention relates to a launcher system and disk munition for destroying land mines. Most particularly, the launcher of the present invention projects the disk munition over the vicinity of a buried land mine to neutralize the land mine. After the location of a buried land mine is determined, the launcher launches the disk munition along an azimuth in the direction of the mine. A fuze within the disk munition is armed to fire over the mine at a time determined by the exit velocity of the disk munition from the launcher. On detonation, the disk munition has sufficient explosive power to penetrate overburden and destroy or otherwise neutralize the target mine.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
The removal of buried land mines is a particularly difficult endeavor. Mines are conventionally used to impede the progress of military forces over a given terrain. Selective placement of the mines within an area is used to deny access into the area. Mines also disrupt and demoralize military forces, or terrorize civilian populations. Mines vary in construction and armament, complicating any attempt to neutralize their use, commonly known as mine countermeasures. Significant problems occur when mine countermeasures do not reliably render an area safe for passage, particularly during military operations. Additionally, after a military conflict, residual mines remain hazardous to non-combatants and must be cleared during humanitarian or administrative mine clearing efforts.
Conventional techniques for clearing buried land mines under assault or battlefield conditions include use of vehicle mounted flails, plows and rollers, and detectors, probes and rifles or cannons carried by persons or vehicles. These clearing methods, however, generally present unavoidable risks to personnel in the area. Other techniques employ nets having shaped charges at the intersections of the cords, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,524 to Richards et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,104 to Shorr et al. However, the nets disclosed in these patents may not be useful in particular tactical or logistical situations. Another approach combines a rapid fire cannon with detectors on a vehicle and uses direct cannon fire to destroy the mines. With these direct cannon fire systems target mine neutralization rates decrease significantly with increased engagement ranges.
During tactical operations, individual military units need indigenous capabilities to counter land mine threats to ensure the most rapid deployment of the military unit. Within a military unit, particularly tank platoons, several results are desired for mine clearance systems. First, directed use of mine countermeasure should effectively clear a selected area of land mines with a high level of system accuracy. Second, the mine countermeasure system should readily conform to unit operational logistic capabilities for the movement and handling of mine clearing equipment. Third, the mine clearing system should be capable of expedient deployment, particularly during tactical operations. Fourth, the mine countermeasures system should be simple to deploy and use, when needed. Fifth, mine neutralization should be achievable at extended target engagement distances. Sixth, the mine neutralization system should be capable of rapid engagement of targets, with minimal ricochets or unexploded ordnance after the clearing has occurred.
In view of the foregoing, improvements in mine countermeasures are needed, particularly with regard to mine clearing during military combat operations. In addition to improved reliability of clearing mines, it has been desired to provide relatively long target engagement distances with sufficient target engagement times suitable for military operations. The present invention addresses this and other needs.